Refrigerating apparatus



Dec. 13, 1 32. w ANDREWS 1,890,451

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 13. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwua'ntoz abl ozwaql Dec. 13, 1932. F. w. ANDREWS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 7 Filed April 13 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wv/Mu attozmaq Dec. 13, F w REWS REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 15. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 J M 3 m @A s A Qvi l X Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES rmernamn conromvrron, A

FRANK W. ANDREWS, OF DAYTON, OHIO,

ASSIGNOR; BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CORPORATION OF DELAWARE nnrnronaarme arraaarus Application filed April 13,

to provide improved means for uniformly" cooling vertically extending bodies, spec1fically ice cream cans.

Further objects and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following description reference being had to'the accompanying drawings. wherein a preferred form ofembodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

Mv invention contemplates a header for supplying liquid refrigerant to conduit means extending remotely from the header to distribute refrigerant uniformly to :widely separated points, for example to refrigerate a relatively large number of compartments and/or to cool a relatively extended space.

One advantage of such an arrangement is that the refrigeration of widely separated points may be uniformly controlled by a very simple device which regulates the admission of refrigerant to the header. More especial- 1y my invention includes coils for the circulation of refrigerant surrounding rows of such compartments which may be arranged .either parallel or. transverse to the header, as cabinet requirements and space limitations render desirable.

In the above arrangement the header and conduit means are so disposed as to provide uniform refrigerating effect thru out the length of a vertically arranged body of 'considerable height.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ice cream cabinet showing one form of cooling unit applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top view in section of a portion of the ice cream cabinet shown in Fig. 1.

1921. Serial are. 183,469.

Fig.3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 4is a longitudinal sectional view of an ice cream cabinet showing another form of cooling unit.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4, and I Fig. 6 is a top view in section of an icecream cabinet showing an additional form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, 20 indigates an ice cream cabinet shown for the sake of illustration as including a brine tank 21 which is enclosed by insulating material 22 and cabinet walls 23. The walls 23 carry a frame 24 to which the upper part of the brine tank is secured. Frame 24 carries insulation 26 which is covered by a top wall 27. Topwall 27 is provided with a sheet-metal cover 28.

A plurality of storage compartments 35 are located within the tank 21. The upper ends of these compartments are flared outwardly as at 36 to receive sleeves 37, forming linings for openings. in the top wall in alignment with containers 35 to afford access thereto.

The openings may be closed by lids 38. The

. the structure shown'in each of the figures.

In all forms of the invention shown, a cooling unit 40 is located within the brine tank 21. This cooling unit is herein shown as an evaporator including a header 41 which is adapted to contain a quantity of liquid refrigerant, maintained at a constant level therein by a valve actuated. by a float 42. The header 41 is horizontally disposed and the front end thereof is provided with a flange 43. This flange is clamped tightly in place by a ring 44 on the outside of the brine ay be poured limitations requiretank, there being a gasket 46 between the .flange and the tank to prevent leakage of and laterally of the header and surrounds the compartments 35. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 a group of compartments is disposed on either side of the header and I have provided, on each side of the header, three coils A, B and C eachconsisting of three turns or loops connected in series each loop surrounding an entire group 0 compartments and each coil having its opposite ends connected tothe header. The loops 48 constitute coil A, loops 49 form coil B, and coil O is composed of loops 50. The individual loops may be supported and'suitably spaced by stays 51 soldered to the coils.

In'the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the arrangement of header and compartments is'the same as the foregoing, but I provide individual coils 52, 53 and 54, each composed of a relatively large number of turns or loops, and each surrounding a single compartment. a v

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, a single coil 56 surrounds an entire group of compartments on one side of 'the header, the group being considered as two rows of compartments, 35a and 35b parallel to the header. Any suitable number of rows containing any suitable number of compartments may be refrigerated in this manner. On the right han side of the header are shown two rows of compartments 35c and 35d each transverse to the header. Each row is surrounded by a separate single coilv 57 or 58. In this manner the invention may be applied to cabinets having more than onerow of compartments, andthe rows may be either parallel to the header or transverse thereto,.or'both. Thus an entire cabinet may be arranged either in the manner shown in the right half of Fi 6 or as shown in the left half of the same-%gure.

By arranging the header with the axis thereof transverse to. the axis of the coils, a relatively large number of coils can be attached to said header in parallel and by virtue of this construction, the cooling compartments can be arranged in rows either parallel or transverse to the header-as space The provision of' a plurality of coils or loops of conduits, surrounding, the various compartments and connected in parallel, and

the extension of coils laterally from the header to the remote portions of the cabinets, results in maintaining a very uniform temperature thruout all portions of the cabinet.

The refrigerant which is cooled or evaporated at various parts of the conduit means can rapidly escape to the header due to the large 'number of paths provided by the parallel that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow. i

What is claimed is as follows:

' 1. An evaporator for refrigerating apparatus comprisingin combination a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant, means for maintaining a. substantially constant level of liquid therein, means providing a thermo-siphon circulation of the re- 1 frigerant including a' loop of conduit connected at its opposite ends to the header below the liquid level and arranged in the general form of a helix having an upright axis".

2. An evaporator for refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination a header forming a reservoir for liquid refrigerant,

means for maintaining a substantially constant level of liquid therein, a container for articles to be cooled, means providing a thermo-siphon circulation of the refrigerant including a loop of conduit connected at its opposite ends to the header below the liquid level and arranged in the general form of a helix having an upright axis, said helix surrounding. the containe 3. A cooling unit for refrigerating apparatus comprising a header adapted to con,- tain liquid refrigerant medium, means ,for maintaining a substantially constant quantity of liquid in the header, means providing a thermo-siphon circulation of the refrigerant includmg conduit means formed into a plurality of individual spiral loops disposed substantially in horizontal lanes, said loops being disposed laterally of the header and connected at both ends to the header, said- 1oops being located one above the other and forming an enclosure for a vertical compartment. i v.

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a cabinet, a row of compartments in the cabi-v net, a header adapted to contain liquid refrlgerant, means for maintainin a substantially constant quantity of liquid refrigerrounding therow, said coils being positioned one above the other.

5. A cooling unit for a refrigeratlng apparatus comprising a header adapted to contain liquid refrigerating medium, means for maintaining a substantially constant quan tity of liquid in the header and a vertically extending coil connected to the header and disposed laterally thereof, said coil including a plurality of substantially horizontal loops forming an enclosure for a vertically arranged compartment, and being connected at both ends to the header.

6'. In combination, a cooling compartment; and a cooling unit for cooling the compartment including a header disposed transversely to the compartment, means for maintain-. ing a substantially constant quantity of liquid in the header and conduit means including a plurality of substantially horizontal loops extending laterally from the header and enclosing the compartments, said conduit means being connected at both ends to the header.

In testimony whereof I he'reto aflix my signature. 7

FRANK W. ANDREWS.

DISCLAIMER 1,890,451.-Frank W. Andrews, Dayton, Ohio. REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. Patent dated December 13, 1932. Disclaimer filed January 24, 1936, by the assignee, General Motors Corporation. Hereby enters this disclaimer to that part of the specification which is claim 5. [Oflicial Gazette February 25, 1936.] 

